With just a hint of Fall left on the oaks along the Clearfork River, a coal drag heads south along the gorge thru the Cumberland Mountains.

Coal drag N252 comes up a short swag after traversing Duff Mountain grade. A helper unit is on the other end, still shoving.

Having just passed the west leg of the Gilbert Branch wye at Wharncliffe, freight 194 heads east along the bluffs of the Tug Fork valley on a humid summer day.

Running long hood forward, a worktrain idles away in Keystone as traffic builds for the assault up Elkhorn Grade. After clearing, it was back to back for eastbounds going up the grade.

Casting a blinding glare, the early morning sun burns off a heavy frost in the Tug Fork valley as loaded coal hoppers off the Buchanan Branch await power.

MP 246.6 along the Rathole.

Q539, a daily mixture of tankers, grain, steel coil, and lumber, splits the signals on the way up Duff Mountain at Oakes, TN on a beautiful Spring day.

In a black and white scene that could easily be years ago, a high hood EMD along with a caboose on the rear await a clear signal from an old NW CPL. This engine had evidently been taken care of th... (more)

CSX Chaska hillhelper has just let go from a southbound coal drag after traversing Duff Mountain. Crews do this on the fly, then await a clear signal before heading back north for another move.

The Spirit of the Clinchfield drifts downgrade at South Kilsyth after getting help over the mountain. From here it'll be all downhill to Ivydale and Big Creek Gap and Lafollette.

At MP 221, a short and overpowered Q539 drifts down the grade along Big Creek to Ivydell and Lafollette.

In a scene quickly disappearing from the Pokey landscape and WV, a signal on the Dry Fork Branch stands sentinel a little over 32 miles from Iaeger and Auville Yard.

Leaning sharply into one of the many curves along the Pokey, a coal drag passes mtys stored on the center siding with steep ridges in the background.

Closeup of a faded ol gal. High hoods are still quite common along the stretch from War Eagle to Thacker, doing trackwork which is a never ending job with the heavy tonnage this stretch endures.

With a friendly wave from the crew, coal drag 82M with three pushers on the rear head up the grade to Bandy summit. Just around the corner are War and Yukon, both oddly named towns in the coalfiel... (more)